Patent Grant
12234841
The present disclosure relates to an accumulator that utilizes ionic liquid for pressurizing gases. Such accumulator avoids use of any internal mechanical parts, e.g., a piston or a bladder, thereby eliminating any potential for mechanical failure experienced by conventional accumulators.
An accumulator is a pressure vessel that are designed for many tasks, for example, in a hydraulic system. For example, accumulators are used to maintain pressure, store and recapture energy, reduce pressure peaks, power chassis suspensions, and dampen shock, vibration and pulsations.
With the rise in interest in using an alternative fuel source for transportation devices, such as automobiles, there has been a tremendous research and development in how to deliver fuel gas, such as hydrogen or liquid propane, to a storage tank of transportation devices. While some have been developing a system that utilizes an accumulator for fast gas fuel delivery system, such accumulators use a bladder, piston, or some other mechanical internal components to pressurize fuel gas for delivery. Unfortunately, as with any mechanically based system, these accumulators will eventually fail or leak, thereby requiring constant monitoring and maintenance programs.
Therefore, there is a need for an accumulator that can pressurize gas and charge the gas fuel or other gas storage tanks rapidly and without any potential for mechanical failure.
Some aspects of the disclosure are directed to an accumulator that does not have any internal mechanical moving parts, such as a piston or a bladder. By eliminating any internal mechanical parts, accumulators of the disclosure are virtually fail-safe, thus providing a substantially maintenance free accumulator system.
One particular aspect of the disclosure provides an ionic liquid-based accumulator system comprising:
In some embodiments, the ionic liquid-based accumulator system of the disclosure further comprises a gas vessel (300) that is operatively connected to said gas orifice (108) of said high-pressure vessel (100), wherein said gas vessel (300) comprises a gas that is immiscible with the ionic liquid.
Still in other embodiments, said liquid orifice (112) comprises a separate liquid inlet orifice (112A) and a liquid outlet orifice (112B). It should be appreciated that the liquid orifice can be a single orifice that is used as both inlet and outlet or it can have two separate orifices one for ionic liquid inlet and one for ionic liquid outlet. Use of the numeric legend 112 implies the liquid orifice can be a single orifice or two separate orifices. Use of labels “A” and “B” with numeric legend 112 indicates having more than one liquid orifice. In a similar manner, any other components, labeled with a numeric value in combination with an alphabet implies a separate element having a similar utility, for example, flow control valves 10 or 10A, 10B, 10C, . . . etc.
Yet in other embodiments, the ionic liquid-based accumulator system of the disclosure further comprises an ionic liquid delivery device (400) for transporting the ionic liquid in said ionic liquid holding vessel (200) to said high-pressure vessel (100) under pressure, thereby allowing the ionic liquid to act as a gas accumulator.
In further embodiments, said ionic liquid delivery device (400) comprises a hydraulic pump, diaphragm, reciprocating compressors, or a combination thereof.
In other embodiments, the ionic liquid-based accumulator system of the disclosure further comprises a gas drying device (30) that is located between said high-pressure vessel (100) and a high-pressure gas filling vessel (500).
Still yet in other embodiments, the ionic liquid comprises a phosphonium salt ionic liquid, an ammonium salt ionic liquid, a sulfonylimide salt ionic liquid, or a combination thereof.
Yet in further embodiments, the ionic liquid has a vapor pressure of about 0.1 mm Hg or less (0.05 mm Hg or less, and 0.025 mm Hg or less) at standard condition, e.g., 20° C. at 1 atm of pressure.
Another aspect of the invention provides an ionic liquid-based accumulator system comprising:
In some embodiments, said hydraulic device (400) is a closed loop hydraulic system.
Yet in other embodiments, said liquid orifice (112) further comprises a first boss and a first valve attached to said first boss.
Still in other embodiments, said liquid orifice (112) comprises a separate liquid inlet orifice (112A) and a liquid outlet orifice (112B).
In further embodiments, said gas orifice (108) further comprises a second boss and a second valve attached to said second boss.
In other embodiments, the ionic liquid comprises a phosphonium salt ionic liquid, an ammonium salt ionic liquid, a sulfonylimide salt ionic liquid, or a combination thereof.
Still yet in other embodiments, the ionic liquid has a vapor pressure of about 0.1 mm Hg or less at standard condition.
Yet in further embodiments, the gas is hydrogen.
Still another aspect of the invention provides an accumulator system comprising:
While the high-pressure vessel can be any type of high-pressure vessel known to one of ordinary skill (e.g., Type 1, 2, 3, or 4), in one particular embodiment, the high-pressure vessel is a Type 3 or 4 pressure vessel. In some embodiments, the high-pressure vessel is a type 4 high-pressure vessel. Briefly, conventional categorization of high-pressure vessels is as follows:
In some embodiments, said liquid orifice of said high-pressure vessel further comprises a first boss and a first valve attached to said first boss.
Still in other embodiments, said gas orifice of said high-pressure vessel further comprises a second boss and a second valve attached to said second boss.
Yet in other embodiments, said liquid control system comprises a hydraulic pump, diaphragm, reciprocating compressors, or any other device or apparatus known to one skilled in the art.
In further embodiments, the ionic liquid comprises a phosphonium salt ionic liquid, an ammonium salt ionic liquid, a sulfonylimide salt ionic liquid, or a combination thereof. In general, any ionic liquid known to one of ordinary skill can be used in the accumulator system of the present disclosure. Exemplary ionic liquids that can be used in the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, lithium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI); 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate ([EMIM][CF3SO3]); 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][Tf2N]); butyltrimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([N1114][Tf2N]), as well as other ionic liquids having an anion such as tetrafluoroborate (BF4), hexafluorophosphate (PF6), bis-trifluoromethanesulfonimide (NTf2), trifluoromethanesulfonate (OTf), dicyanamide (N(CN)2), hydrogen sulphate (HSO4), ethyl sulphate (EtOSO3), etc. Other useful ionic liquids are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0073331, filed by Xu, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
In some embodiments, the ionic liquid used in accumulator system of the present disclosure has a vapor pressure of about 0.1 mm Hg or less, typically about 0.05 mm Hg or less, and often about 0.025 mm Hg or less) at standard condition, i.e., 20° C. at 1 atm pressure. When referring to a numerical value, the terms “about” and “approximately” are used interchangeably herein and refer to being within an acceptable error range for the particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art. Such a value determination will depend at least in part on how the value is measured or determined, e.g., the limitations of the measurement system, i.e., the degree of precision required for a particular purpose. For example, the term “about” can mean within 1 or more than 1 standard deviation, per the practice in the art. Alternatively, the term “about” when referring to a numerical value can mean±20%, typically ±10%, often ±5% and more often ±1% of the numerical value. In general, however, where particular values are described in the application and claims, unless otherwise stated, the term “about” means within an acceptable error range for the particular value, typically within one standard deviation.
Still in other embodiments, the gas is hydrogen, propane, natural gas, or any other gases that are useful as a fuel source, as well as other gases (e.g., nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, helium, etc.) that are useful in various industries.
Another aspect of the disclosure provides an ionic liquid-based accumulator system comprising:
In some embodiments, said hydraulic device is a closed loop hydraulic system.
Still in other embodiments, said liquid orifice further comprises a first boss and a first valve attached to said first boss.
Yet in other embodiments, said gas orifice further comprises a second boss and a second valve attached to said second boss.
In further embodiments, the ionic liquid comprises those disclosed herein. Still in other embodiments, the ionic liquid has a vapor pressure of those disclosed herein.
In other embodiments, the gas is hydrogen, propane, or liquid natural gas.
A further aspect of the disclosure provides a method for using an ionic liquid as an accumulator in delivering a pressurized gas to a receiving vessel (500). The method includes:
In some embodiments, the gas comprises hydrogen, propane, natural gas, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, or helium. Still in other embodiments, the gas comprises hydrogen, propane, or natural gas.
Still in other embodiments, a solubility of the gas in the ionic liquid is about 1 g/L or less, typically about 0.5 g/L or less, often about 0.25 g/L or less, more often about 0.1 g/L or less, still more often about 0.01 g/L or less, and most often about 0.001 g/L or less.
The present disclosure will now be described with regard to the accompanying drawings, which assist in illustrating various features of the disclosure. In this regard, the present disclosure generally relates to an accumulator system that does not have any internal mechanical moving parts in an accumulator. That is, the disclosure relates to an accumulator system comprising an ionic liquid-based accumulator. In some embodiments, the accumulator includes a high-pressure vessel (100) comprising: (i) a single internal compartment (102); (ii) a liquid orifice (112) adapted to allow flow of an ionic liquid to and from said single internal compartment (102), wherein said liquid orifice (112) is operatively connected to an externally located liquid flow control system (400) that controls the flow of an ionic liquid to and from said high pressure vessel (100); and (iii) a gas orifice (108) adapted to allow flow of a gas to and from said single internal compartment (102), wherein said gas orifice (108) is operatively connected to an externally located gas flow control system (10A) that controls the flow of gas from the gas source (300) to said high pressure vessel (100).
Three particular embodiments of ionic liquid-based accumulator systems are generally illustrated in
Referring to
It can be seen that using pressure, the high-pressure vessel (100) stores a volume of gas under high pressure by introducing an ionic liquid into the high pressure vessel (100). The ionic liquid is selected such that it does not dissolve any gas from the gas source (300). Typically, the gas from the gas source (300) has a solubility within the ionic liquid, which used as an accumulator, of about 1 g/L or less, typically about 0.5 g/L or less, often about 0.25 g/L or less, more often about 0.1 g/L or less, still more often about 0.01 g/L or less, and most often about 0.001 g/L or less. This results in compression or pressurization of gas by increasing the amount of ionic liquid introduced into the high-pressure vessel (100). As can be seen, there is no material within the internal chamber (102) of the high-pressure vessel (100). The ionic liquid that is introduced through the liquid orifice (112) acts as the accumulator by providing the pressure needed to compress the gas within the high-pressure vessel (100).
Because ionic liquids have a low vapor pressure, they are relatively non-volatile. Thus, the amount of pressure exerted by ionic liquid do not fluctuate drastically and is relatively constant. Furthermore, because the gas from the gas source (300) is relatively non-soluble in the ionic liquid used as the accumulator in the high-pressure vessel (100), the amount of pressure fluctuation due to the gas solubility is further reduced. In some embodiments, the ionic liquid has a vapor pressure of about 0.1 mm Hg or less, typically about 0.05 mm Hg or less, often about 0.025 mm Hg or less, more often about 0.01 mm Hg or less, and most often about 0.001 mm Hg or less at standard condition, e.g., at 20° C. at 1 atm of pressure.
In the embodiment illustrated in
The hydraulic circuit can include a pressure safety release (50) and/or a vent (60) that can be used to control the pressure within the hydraulic circuit. In the embodiment illustrated in
Referring again to
The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. Although the description of the invention has included description of one or more embodiments and certain variations and modifications, other variations and modifications are within the scope of the invention, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/416,421, filed Oct. 14, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100154924 | Casey | Jun 2010 | A1 |
| 20140102587 | Nagura | Apr 2014 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20240125337 A1 | Apr 2024 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63416421 | Oct 2022 | US |
